Frankland: N gauge Southern Railway

[SouthernBoy]

Thanks for comments gents ...

Jason: The foam-board mock-up idea I've seen quite a few other people do on other threads It's a useful exercise. For instance, when I made the mock-up and compared it with photos of Surbiton I realised the clock tower should be taller, something which wasn't so evident when drawing the plans from photos. The thing with photos (found on the web) is that they're not always face-on - but often taken at angles, and above or below horizontal, so you can't always guesstimate the scale / relative positions of some elements very well. The mock-up enabled me to spot the error now rather than after I'd cut the Plasticard and assembled it

Tim: It goes without saying there will be a Sarf Landan booza m8 I have a picture of the perfect model but can't find it right now Suffice to say it looks suitably dodgy. Either way - I was thinking of calling it something like The Moorcroft what u reckon me diamond?

Terrier: Thanks Just one thing ... 'Off Topic' is, erm, off topic and not going to inspire you to get on with modelling much ... get yourself back inside the layout pages and fire yourself up

[mumbles]

Great stuff

If the mock up is anything to go by, that station will be something else. I must say too, that the techinque for ballasting is a ingenious one. Where did you pick that up from?

The 3rd rail is starting to look the part too, funny to think that i will be using code 60 for mine in 00!! Do you have electric stock yet, I can't remember? If so, how does the pick up shoe look with it?

Nice one again, I like the small, seemingly unconnected things, that's what brings the layout together


Cheers
Michael

[GROTLAND]

Oooh. The long awaited update. Now I see where you're coming from with the glass paper base. I reckon it's some of the finest and neatest work we'll see on this forum in terms of track level work. By the look of it too; the buildings will be something to behold. I had to laugh at myself when I read this update; regarding your attention to the correct height of the clock tower. You're getting things absolutely bang on and on my layout I was thinking 'raise it 2 inches here lose some pizza box there' . Already I want to start again.
Those station mock ups are a piece of modelling genius in themselves and indeed, the 3rd rail looks very impressive even on that macro photography.
I would say be careful with useing doorways to measure the size of buildings because I did that and went a bit overscale, but I'm sure you're working with tighter limits.

[Infrontcat]

I was thinking of calling it something like The Moorcroft what u reckon me diamond?

Sweet as! And don't forget to put in a tiny loudspeaker playing some feint 'ivory-tinkling' melodies and raucous laughter

Cheers fella

Tim

[SouthernBoy]

Hello Michael,
the sandpaper idea was one I've been toying with for a while, I don't recall seeing it elsewhere. I may progress it further: On page 2 of this thread Andrew (Grotland) suggested using scatter, sanded down, to give a 'compacted ballast' effect. I'm thinking of trying the same thing, only using sawdust. Looking through my Southern books (yes, I'm starting to get a little collection now ) I notice a number of examples of completely horizontal, or gently cambered sleeper-top ballasting - and it's just something I'd like to model

No EMUs yet That's the next big thing on my list.

... I had to laugh at myself when I read this update; regarding your attention to the correct height of the clock tower. You're getting things absolutely bang on and on my layout I was thinking 'raise it 2 inches here lose some pizza box there' . Already I want to start again. ... I would say be careful with useing doorways to measure the size of buildings because I did that and went a bit overscale

Your methods work very well Andrew, I think you've a natural talent and what you produce is amongst the best I've seen For me - I'm not very good at spatial things - so find it helps to map things out visually first If my finished buildings look half as good as the plans I'll be very happy.
I'll keep an eye on those door frames. I think I'll be ok - as a double-check for scale I also used the height of a double-deck bus and the average height of people passing by (belt and braces and, erm, another belt )

Tim - this is the pub I'm thinking of

Thanks for comments

Mark

[Infrontcat]

Mate, have you any idea how big the smile on my face was when I realised it was that advert I still remember singing it with my mates at school for several weeks after it came on TV. I always liked the "Daaaahhhhn To Margit"-based advert too

Any chance of modelling the dog?

Cheers fella

Tim

[SouthernBoy]

Frankland update No. 10





Hello and welcome to update number ten.


Since my last post I've been working on basic landscaping along the front of the layout. A change to my original plan has been to make room for a stretch of embankment between the viaduct and the station. The embankment is built up with foam-board and topped with plaster.










At the opposite end of the layout the railway runs through a cutting and into a tunnel.



The empty space on the left will mirror the right-hand side of this picture - but will be removable for easy access and photo-opportunities Retaining walls will be concrete, with cabling alongside.


As you can see, I've continued ballasting and the front of the layout is now done.
It's lightly weathered for now - and later I'll come back to detailing and more weathering.







Looking at old colour pictures of track around Clapham / Wimbledon I noticed that point-work could be quite oily at the business end of the points, covering sleepers and ballast too - so I used Railmatch 'Oily Steel'. It's also a good way of disguising the drop in sleeper height at this part of Peco points. I'll add a couple more washes some time.



I made a rough mock-up of the tube station that is at the top of the hill.



And a mock-up based on Wimbledon Station.



My original plan was to model my second station at the back of the layout on Wimbledon, which has a main entrance and a secondary side entrance.
But having made and positioned the main building - it just wasn't working for me visually in the space I have. So have decided to compromise with just the side entrance, imagining the main entrance is further along the road and 'off-scene'.

The side entrance to Wimbledon was the same architectural style as the front, just narrower. I haven't mocked this up fully, just a template for size and positioning which you can see in the next couple of pictures.





Moving down from this station we'll have a set of three mock-tudor semi-detached houses.



These will represent the speculative building of the period and will probably be the first area I work up into something more detailed. To me they'll give a good sense of time and place. The houses and gardens will be on a lift-out section for ease of working.

Finally, here's an overview of the left half of the layout so you can see how this area sits together. The top of the hill lifts off for access to the tracks.



The tonal range of colours you see here is roughly what I'll aim for with finished scenics.


Oh, the plywood station platforms I'd made previously have gone. They started warping - so I'm going to make platforms either from Plasticard, or foam-board and Plasticard.


And that's everything up-to-date.


Comments and suggestions welcome.


Thanks


Mark

[0121modeller]

Hi mark, I'm really impressed with the work you've done here, great attention to detail & some construction methods i use on my own project. Tbh ,up to now, i never really viewed any N gauge projects ( as i model 00 ), but i've changed my mind now i can see what can be achieved when modelling N gauge.

I always admire the "show you how its done" photo's & you also explain this admirally, so alongside half a dozen 00 projects i'm watching , this will be the first N gauge subscibed project i'll be watching.
I reckon i'll learn a bit from this thread as many of your scenery sections are bolt or screw down allowing access & alteration , I use this method too as you know already,... although you have more confidence with the landscape / scenic finishing off aspects than myself. I am able to do this, but always unsure if it will not turn out as i'd hoped, (mild OCD also), so I suppose i need to pratice beforehand on a mock-up scene using a spare section of plywood or so to gain confidence as to progress.

Your method of the small panhead screws to temporary hold tracks looks a good idea also, The sandpaper idea i've used also on my previous project, i used light grey medium grit "aluminium oxide paper" (i think it was called), & i used under a couple of points , I "grubbied" the sandpaper a little first with a combined shadings of brown, blackish & mossy green so the grey was still visible, then, when dry lightly tacked the point to the sandpaper, i done his by the tiniest applied spots of pva to underside of point & then placing it on sandpaper with a book or simillar weight on top, When dry ,the this can be tacked down normally. Also beforehand, allow a small hole for possible point motor , idea being that motor is hidden & the hole in baseboard for motor is hidden too, to discuise the scenic join seam of sandpaper to basebord or track surface area , lightly ballast the seam so its not visible.
Sorry i've no photo's of this as it was on a previous project a few years ago.

"Great modelling work ,

Dave.

[SouthernBoy]

Hello Dave, thanks for comments and honoured it's the first 'N' topic to which you've subscribed. You should consider following a few more N layouts because many techniques are applicable / adaptable across the scales. I've certainly learned from and been inspired by 00 threads.

Yes, you'll get more confidence about the scenic side with a few dry-runs first. The other thing I've learned is to take my time - sometimes I just can't figure something out, or can't picture it in my mind - so forget about it and concentrate on other areas of the layout for a while. Often in the interim the solution will come along

The sandpaper under the points is a neat technique, and one I should adapt to better disguise the path of the pin from the point motor.

Thanks again,

Mark

[Tank]

Superb work SouthernBoy! You've doing a great and very precise job. I need to do a third rail on my layout in the future, so any tips on what to use would be appreciated.

Your ballasting is very good too - one of the best I've seen in fact.

[SouthernBoy]

... I need to do a third rail on my layout in the future, so any tips on what to use would be appreciated...

Hello Tank,

Check update No. 9 for one idea I had using cut-down insulated rail joiners. It held the rails nicely around a curve, but the rail had a tendency to pop out vertically - something I guess a drop of glue wouldn't solve.

Other ideas I've read of include soldering code 40 rail to small pins (pins with flat circular heads) which are then pushed into sleepers (possibly pre-drilled sleepers).

Another was to fix third rail directly onto sleepers without any attempt to model the insulators - the thinking being that at such a small scale no one will notice. For similar reasons I think someone else simply used small strips of Plasticard suitably painted to represent third rail which was also glued directly to sleepers.

Personally - I think third rail that is slightly raised above sleeper level would look better than gluing straight to sleepers. I may experiment with just using thin sections of Plasticard, cut to rail width, to raise the rail, but not bother to make them the shape of insulators. I think at such a small scale a simple dab of appropriately coloured paint on the Plasticard and slightly onto the bottom of the third rail will be enough to deceive the eye. But that's an experiment yet to be had

From what I've read, the main challenge with any method is making the means of fixing/gluing strong enough to endure the odd firm knock when track cleaning or other carelessness.

Anyway, hope that helps and keep us in-the-loop with your own third rail experiments

[Infrontcat]

Hi mate

That looks utterly splendid already in terms of the proportions and I agree that the space available should dictate a narrower station building. I like the proportions of the tube station so you have my blessing to build it!

Any news on the pub yet? Or are you still deciding which Chas and Dave song should eminate from it via a mini-speaker system

Catcha later fella, wonderful stuff as ever

Tim

[m.levin]

Great stuff Mark

You make me sick, with the ballasting you have done. Due to late Mr Mumbles, I am paranoid about my ballasting, after seeing yours, mine has to be ripped up and started again.

keep um coming mate

Martin

[SouthernBoy]

Thanks Gents,

Tim: the pub is not forgotten and in fact I've been collecting images of interesting boozers as I go Unfortunately as a project it's a little way down the list - but on the list it firmly is

Martin: Thanks for dropping by - if I'd known I'd have got my best china out

[THE CHIEF]

Well you know im a southern fan, and now a hardcore southernboy fan! Your work is outstanding and ive all but decided to start over (want to fit electro frogs) i think this has been the final straw

where did you get the tram? would a farish motor bogie fit in there? the tube station is amazing! nearly finished my brighton bel, ill have to send you a couple of pics when its ready.